Editor

As a PhD student at Aberystwyth University and regular user of the National Library of Wales, I am relieved that its future finances are secure.

Being among the finest Welsh institutions (if not the finest), it seems beyond belief that the Welsh Government should have even considered putting the National Library in such a position. For a time, one could only conclude that Welsh Labour had fallen into the trap of seeing the cost of everything but the value of nothing. Such cultural philistinism comes at a real cost for academics and for the civic pride of this part of the world.

With the Covid restrictions making it impossible for me to do a lot of my research, it was a blessing to be able to get to the National Library before the December‘firebreak’ lockdown. Without it, I would not be completing some completely new research on one of the library’s founders, Lord Davies of Llandinam. More importantly than that, though, is that we are proud to have the National Library in our town. It was one of the many things that drew me here five years ago and it is a damning indictment if we cannot take its preservation for granted.

As such, enough cannot be done to thank everyone who got behind the campaign to ensure that it receives proper funding. It has been inspiring to see support from across Britain, including Sir Philip Pullman. This issue has also hit on a real depth of feeling locally and drawn in political candidates, such as Conservative Senedd candidate Amanda Jenner. For the campaign to have managed to get over 14,000 people to sign the petition in a short time is quite something. Such hope was invested in the Library over a century ago by so many, from miners donating their pennies to David Davies and his millions, I am glad to have done my little bit to have kept their dream alive.

I hope that the National Library is never in this position again but, if it is, I take comfort from the fact that so many people will be there to stand up for it.

Ewan Lawry Aberystwyth

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